Mt. Killamanjaro: TNA Hits & Misses – Part 1

TNA turns eleven this Sunday at the ninth annual Slammiversary pay-per-view, and so much has happened since last year's ten-year milestone I thought it fitting to take a look back at all the hits and misses since 2012 and the debut of the Aces & Eights.

Let's kick things off with a guy that's been much too popular a topic around the Wrestlezone water cooler lately…

Austin Aries – Hit

The idea that an X-Division Champion could "cash in" his title for an immediate shot at immortality has been pretty controversial, but for Austin Aries it was a perfect way to launch an incredibly talented star into a bonafide World Champion. And although there are many wrestling fans who mourned the loss of Bobby Roode as the head of Impact Wrestling, the main event of Destination X is one of those unforgettable TNA moments.

Aries' matches with Roode, Samoa Joe, Bully Ray and of course, Jeff Hardy were stand-out highlights from an incredible year of wrestling. His title reign was fairly short, all things considered, but it cemented "A-Double" as a top talent, and he certainly hasn't missed a step without the belt. As it turns out, he actually made a damn good chaser, going after Jeff Hardy through the end of 2012. And his recent tag team work with Bobby Roode has both put tag team wrestling back into the spotlight, and been some of the most enjoyable work of Aries' career.

My hat is off to the "Greatest Man That Ever Lived". Not everyone here wants you fired…